National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1887-06-13

defeating the great Spanish armada. The
British people have kept this in mind and
faithfully eubsldlsed their ships to protect
them.
No nation has ever maintained the power
Of an international arbitrator, nor position
as a powerful people, unless that power
was manifest In a supremacy upon the |
oceans and under Its own flag.
And yet we read In our Post to-day, In |
an editorial headed, "Our Flag on the |
Ocean, "that we are far better oil with. |
out the oceanic carrying trade;' that |
"there Is no sense IN the wall over the de- |
cline Of our foreign commerce." Remark
able ~
The Democratic national platform OF 1884 |
contained the following plank:
We favor an American continental policy
based upon more intimate commercial aud
publcs of North, Central, and South America,
but entangling alliances with none.
Without ships. how can we have "com-
trine, but we cannot boast OF the power to
enforce It. A pretty how d'y dol
There is no foreign commerce in the ports
Of New Orleans, Of Mobile, or OF Pensacola
to-day. 1t is all gone, and why ? Because
| II Ia carried eastward on "through foreign
bills Of lading" and foreign "bills Of ex-
change" TO England, TO be carried via Lon
don on triangular trip for transhipment
| W tub tubb Auu nOob Nohob VI 1oush h"S'
| lea. Englishmen are our brokers In com
merce, to whom we pay heavy commissions.
An American ship Is the best commercial
| treaty our statesmen can create.
We have the coal, the iron, the complete
material the supplies, the Labor and the
genius; our working masses and our young
men from colleges are seeking employment
| by thousands, and yet our brthright In oil
| these benefits Is to-day sold out to foreign
| shipping, and, in addition to all the above
int' rests, we are paying for freight and
passenger rates $3.50, 200, 900 per year.
| Twenty foreign markets-flfteen Spanish
American republics, one empire, and four
colonies-of importance, containing oyer
5000 600 consumers and In need OF our
| products and manufactures, at present ian
| porting to value Of over $500,0O0,OOO, OF
which the United States supplies but one
seventh, are lying before us, from our gulf
front, asking our trade. Who is 1t that says
there is "no sense In the wail'' over our lost
prestige In shippingp In 1857 we carried 75
per cent. of our own commerce aud much
OF other nations. Now we do not carry II
per cent. and none for other nations We
cannot get return cargoes for our very few
ships, because the foreign subsidized ships
can underbid for freight. Prince Bismarck
appealed to the reichstag for national aid
called in England subsidy-because, he said,
sin choosing foreign ships 10 export home
products people expose themselves to all kinds
Of foul play, not only in competition, but
also TO adulterations of goods"
And yet the Post tells us that tive should
be glad to have the Dutch and English &C.,
serve us as porters." Well we have plenty
young men south who would like to become
such porters. do not believe that the
chief editor Of the Post wrote such ex-
pressions because he is too practical a
business man, too loyal an American, and
too farsighted and faithful Democrat.
J,,e e1t ,t,,n< all f,Ir ttia onI ,Natrt npa
united, and although the American ship aud
flag can never be restored to the ocean
without national economic aid, yet through
the determination Of statesmen who will
| soon come to Congress, both the ship and
the flag tviN and shall be restored. Let
the Post mark it. 1t is a movement that
started In the south and in the Democratic
party and 1t is to-day legion of strength aud
solid phalanx throughout the country OF
all classes and parties. The day Is past
when the people can be frightened by the
cry Of British Lloyds agents In New York
and Washington against subsidizing, In
order that by demoralizing Congress aud
ports, our freights may be robbed.
s President Polk and President Taylor sus
= tained the subsidy provision which built NJ
our commerce, and 1t was only the abroSa
, ton of that promise Of aid by their success
sors that drove the American ship from tn
seas.
! True, 1t does not pay under the competi
, tion with subsidized British, French, Ger
man, Italian, and Spanish ships, for Ameri
u can shippers to keep up carrying trade
G but why is 1t not as necessary, and more SC
3 for us to meet England and other nation
= with equal means and like economic reaso
| that they use to control our trade and t
L possess every harbor OF our country?
n Here is general provision OF British cor
: | tracts for the maintenance OF British ships
4 | Whenerer The annual income Of The compan
l,teamshipl from all sources does not admit Of
u | diiidend Of 8 per cent. on the capital employed
,s | NE subsidy shall be Increased bp so much as
= | required 10 make up such dtpitetm
This is a practical system of averagin
and adjusting national agency OF powel
1 Guarantee American ships only per cent
Ii | and all the nations In the world combine
it would not be able to drive our flag from tn
| ocean.
r The Post adds:
Is II Is puerile and fatuous for us to enter int
ID a scramble of salt.sea rivalry with the stew,
"a dores OF Copenhagen and the lazzaroni
Italy.
ie Who would have believed that this coul
is emanate from such high and adyisab
c. sourcep
WIN he who wrote such prosaic parod
on the greatest Of Industries turn to pag
., 25S $50 OF Capt Samuefs "Forecastle
al Cabin" and read what is written there, vi
10 | tuub 'uc loTBtLo tudI III uc kthc larmcIl pa.
Sc for foreign transportation is dead loss
20 his country, of which he bears his portion
W II is not the lowest price paid for transpo
ne tation that is always the cheapest" SC.
g And will the Post trace the history
Mt shipping In connection with the prospect
~ Of nationsP Read the English historian
"Merchant Shipping" Lindsay, and our ov
!" Wheelwright, who give graphic, a
In though, Of course, Lindsay gives biase
st | exposition of the benefits to England fro
her shipping, and especially Of the strea
OF trade and wealth that has been carrie
to her shores by the "Pacifc Steam Navig
tion Company" from the west coast
'w South America under the British fl
II jealous Wheelwright had been refused a
~ by the United States government-are 81
ue prising, and proves most forcibly that tra'
40 follows the flag, which commands I
cy riches Of the world"
I'll What our people have lost annually Z
.ta many years by paying tribute to forei
10 10 interests Especially to British, throul
rIs British Insurance, shippers, and shi
ID builders), no other nation in the wor
could have withstood, nor could we CO
,c- tinue to do 80, notwithstanding the II
-. closes with the singular anomaly OF assn
ID. aDce that "for rich and prosperous matte
nd whose money is worth from to 5 per cen
RS a merchant marine is burden and expen
re. In times of peace and terrible source
,or weakness and peril In time OF war;
so This will surely sound jinglingly IN
,u- ears OF our experienced and distinguish
ch naval officers, for all authorities agree th
9 a a merchant marine is q naval reserve
900 | happy bond, carrier of wealth and resp
m sin time of peace,n and safeguard q
Da' strong defense sin time Of war"